Engineer&#39;s valve for compressed-air-operated dump-cars.



No. 894,280. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908. T. H. MoKNIGHT. ENGINEERS VALVE FOR COMPRESSED AIR OPERATED DUMP CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.12, 1907.

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ENGINEERS VALVE FOR PATENTED JULY-28, 1908. T. R. MOKNIGHT.

COMPRESSED AIR OPLRATED DUMPGARS.

APPLICATLON FILED OOT.12, 1907.

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PATENTED JULY 28 T. B. MOKNIGHT. ENGINEERS VALVE FOR COMPRESSED AIR OPERATED DUMP GARS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.12, 1907.

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. as hereinafter described.

UNITED OOMPAN Y, OF AURO s PATENT earrca.

THOMAS R. MCKNIGHT, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN RA, ILLINOIS,

OR TO WESTERN WHEELED SCRAPER A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

No. SHgZDu.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS It. MGKNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engineers Valves for Oompressed-Air-Operated Dump-Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to dump-cars, and particularly to dump-cars arranged to be dumped at one side or the other by means of compressed air, such, for axainple, as the car illustrated and described in Patent No. 846,501, issued to me March 12, 1907. In cars of this description the dumping is effected by compressed-airactuated meehanisan contrriled from the engineers cab. The air-compressing mechanism of the usual airbrake system is relied upon to furnish compressed air, which, is connected with the 'dumping mechanism of the several cars by train pipes extending from one end of the train to the other,-two train pipes being provided, one for controlli the dumping at one side and the other for controlling the dumping at the other side of the train.

My present invention has to do principally with the valve by which the engineer con' trols the admission of air to either train pipe r exhausts it therefrom.

It has for its object to provide new and improved valve mechanism by which the engineer may effect tlu dumping of the car or cars of his train at either side and may effect the desired operations with the consumption of a minimum amount of air. I accomplish this object as illustrated in the drawings and What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a view, showing the main air reservoir, the engineers valve and the cut-out valve by which the main reservoir may be cut off from the engineers valve; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, showing the engineer's valve with the pipe connections therefor; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the valve disk; Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof, being a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 5," Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4 Fig. 6 is a plan view of the valve as a whole; Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 7*7 of Fig. 8,- Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 88 of Fig. 7; Fig '9 is a hori- Specification oLLetters Patent.

Application filed October 12, 1907.

Patented July 28, 1908. Serial No. 397,152.

Zontal section on line 9 -9 of Fig. 2 Fig. 10 is a vertical section on line 1010 of Fig. 9; 11 is a side elevation of the upper. or; tion of the valve as a whole, the lociring bracket being in section; and Fig. 12 is a plan view of the valve body.

.ieferring. to the drawings,13 indicates a main air-reservoir, which is supplied with compressed air by an independent pump, from the air-brake system of the train, or in any other suitable way.

14 indicates the engineers valve, which is connected by a pipe 15 with the main reservoir 18, said pipe having a cut-out valve or cook 16 adjacent to thcengineefs valve 14, as shown in Fig. 1. The object of the cutout valve 16 is to cut off the enginee1"s valve from the main reservoir when desired.

17 indicates the body of the valve, which, asshown in Figs. 6, 8 and 9, is provided with three pipe connections 18-19'20 arranged around it, giving it a substantially Y shape in-horizontal section, as shown in Fig. 9. It is also provided with a pipe connection 21 at the bottom, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. All these pipe connections are screw-threaded to receive unions for making connection with the lines of pipe. The connections l8-19 lead to train pipes 18"19 for dumping the car at one side or the other, the connection 18 representing the right-hand dumping line and the connection 19 the left-hand dumping line. The connection 20 goes to the exhaust pipe 20, while the connection 21 goes to the pipe 15 coming from the main reservoir 13, as shown in Fig. 1.

22, 23, 24 and 2 valve body, which communicate, respectively, with the connections 18, 19, 20 and 21,said chambers being formed by vertical parti tions 26, 27, 28 and 29 in the valve body, as also shown in Fig. 9.

30 indicates a web or plate which extends over the several chambers 22 to 25, as shown in Figs. 10 and 12 31, .32, 83 and saidchainbers.

35 indicates a valve disk, which is adapted to fit upon the valve body so several orts 31 to 34, as shown in Fig. 7. Said dis is provided on its under side with two segmental grooves or channels 36-37 separated by a cross-partition 38, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. On its upper side said disk is provided with lugs .3*9 i0 spaced and is provided with. ports arranged respectlvely over' as to overlie the assess grees each and are consequently separated by segmen: of the partitiod- 38 which extend l'lll'O'l. arcs of about thirty degrees each, as she. in lindicates an orifice in'the disk 37 for admitting connn'essed air above said disk and equalizing the pressure thereupon.

42 indicates a cap, which {its upon the valve body 17, as shown in Fig. 7, and is se cured thereto by a union 43, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, both the valvebody 17 and the cap 42 being provided withscrew-threaded flanges i s--15, respinttively, to receive said union.

4-6 irnlicatos a stulling-box for packing the steml 41, h extends up through the cap and is pro vltltil with anoperating lever 47, best shownin Figs. 2, 6 and 11. As therein shown the lever. 47 is mounted upon the squared upper portion of the stem 41 and is provided with a spring-operated latch 48 which engages notches 49 in a locking bracket mounted on and secured to the cap, as shown in Big. 1. Said bracket is semicircular in form and is provided with notches at the proper points so that the valve stem may be turned to thc desired position andlocked there. i

It will be apparent from the foregoing description and an examination of the several ports and chambers in connection with the valve disk 35 that compressed air entering the inlet chamber 25 may, when the port 34 is open, ')asstl1roug'h said port, through the overlying passa oti or 37, as the case may be, and in to the ht hand or the left-hand dinnping line, depending upon which one of said lins is conncctnl with the inlet chamber. For ex .ple, assun'iing that the valve disl; is turned so as to cause the passage 36 to overlie the inlet port and to connect id port ith port 31 of chamber 22 which tiilS m the right-hand dumping line, C0111" :esscd air would accordingly be admitted I'Ullt the main reservoir 13 to the right-hand lumping line. At the same time port 32 of the loltluinrl dumping line would. be connected by the passage 3? in the valve dislr35 with the exhaust port 33. In like manner the left-hand dumping line could be connected with the main reservoir and the righthand dumping line connected with the exhaust port. Ports 3i and 32 of boththe right and left hand dumping lines may be simultaneously connected with inlet port 3 by turning; valve disk 85 into position to cause passage 36, for example, to overlie all threeot caidpo ls. Again, by turning valve disk 35 into position to cause the segments 38 to overlie inlet and exhaust ports Sa --33, both. said ports may be closed and the air in both the dumping lines can be confinedin the dumping lines. If desired, by closing the valve or cook 16 the main reservoir may be entirely cut oil from the dumping lines and engineers valve.

The advantages of the construction described are that the engineer has not only complete control ofthe dumping 0 erations by means of a single valve, but also e is able to economize his air consumption. For example, after the load has been dumpedat. which time the train pipe at one slde contains air under pressure,-while the train pipeat the other-side does not-instead of exhausting the compressed air from the former train pipe the engineer closes valve 16 to cut oil the supply of air from the mainreservoir and then operates his valve 14 to connect ports 31 and 32 leading to thetwo trainpipes. The air under pressure in one .of the train pipes is therefore permitted to expand into the other train pi e until the pressure in-both is equalized. y then adjusting'the valve so as to connect the line which was used to dumpthe car with the exhaust said line is relieved from pressure while suliicient pressure is retained in the other line toIrestore the car bed to its normal economizing very materially 1n the air consumption. i o

While my improved valve is intended particularly for use in connection with dump cars, it may be used for any other purpose to whichit is adapted, and any other suitable gas may be employed instead OfCOlll ressed air. T e claims, therefore, are to strued accordingly.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,v

1. In a dump-car controlling-apparatus, the combination of means for supplying coinpressed air, dumping lines communicating therewith for dumping the cars at either side, and means for connecting said dumping lines together to admit compressed air from one to the other and for exhausting the air from one line while retaining it in the other.

2. A controlling valve for dum. cars having connections with a source '0 sup ly of compressed air and dumping lines for umpingthe car at either side, and means for connecting the dumping lines together to admit compressed air from one to the other and for exhausting the air -from one line while retaining it in the other.

6 COH- 3. A controlling valve for dump cars havosition, thus ing connections with a source ofsup 1y of com ressed air and dumping lines for umping t e cars at either side, an exhaust outlet, and means for connecting the dumping lines to ether leaving both disconnected from the ex aust outlet or for connecting either of said dumping lines with the com ressed air supply and the other with the ex aust'outlet.

5. A controlling valve for dum cars having connections with a source 0 sup ly of compressed air and dumping lines for umping the car at either side, an exhaust outlet,

a valve disk havin passages adapted to con nect either of saw clumping lines with-the compressed air supply and the other with the exhaust outlet, and means for rotating said valve disk.

6. A controlling valve for dump cars, comnrising a valve body having a pair of cham ei's communicating with dumping lines, ports communicating with said chambers,

respectively, an inlet port between and adj acent to said first-mentioned ports, and agrising a valve body having a pair of chamers communicating with dumping lines, ports communicating With said chambers, respectively, an inlet port between and adj acent to said firstnientioned ports, and a valve disk having a assage adapted to overlie all of said ports or connecting the same together, in combination with an air reservoir, and .means for cutting off said valve from said reservoir.

THOMAS n. MoKNIGHT. 

